Xeon E3-1235 vs Core i7-3630QM

Xeon E3-1235

4 Cores8 Thrd95 WWMax: 3.6 GHz2011

Core i7-3630QM

4 Cores8 Thrd45 WWMax: 3.4 GHz2012

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon E3-1235

4 / 8

5,112

0.0%

5,136

+0.5%

About PassMark

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Xeon E3-1235 is positioned at rank 607 and the Core i7-3630QM is on rank 1007, so the Xeon E3-1235 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E3-1235

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

9757%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

1842%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

1637%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

1264%

#363

Xeon W-2191B

MSRP: $1333|Avg: $39

100%

#364

Xeon Gold 5320

MSRP: $1780|Avg: $1834

99%

#365

EPYC 7513

MSRP: $2840|Avg: $389

99%

#366

Xeon Silver 4216

MSRP: $1011|Avg: $800

98%

#367

EPYC 9454P

MSRP: $4598|Avg: $3333

97%

#369

Xeon Gold 6542Y

MSRP: $2878|Avg: N/A

94%

#370

EPYC 7502

MSRP: $2600|Avg: $1299

94%

#607

Xeon E3-1235

MSRP: $240|Avg: $270

100%

#611

Xeon E3-1265L v3

MSRP: $294|Avg: $398

99%

#612

Xeon E3-1280 v2

MSRP: $315|Avg: $50

99%

#618

Xeon W-2133

MSRP: $617|Avg: $617

96%

#622

Xeon E5607

MSRP: $135|Avg: $27

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-3630QM

#995

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

2159%

#996

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

2127%

#997

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1953%

#998

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1944%

#999

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1926%

#1001

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1860%

#1002

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1784%

#1003

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1781%

#1004

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1733%

#1007

Core i7-3630QM

MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A

100%

#1008

Core i7-3610QM

MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A

100%

#1009

Pentium A1020

MSRP: $86|Avg: $86

100%

#1010

Core i3-1115GRE

MSRP: $338|Avg: $480

100%

#1011

Core i7-4702MQ

MSRP: $383|Avg: $50

100%

#1012

Pentium N4200

MSRP: $161|Avg: $30.89

99%

#1013

Pentium J2900

MSRP: $94|Avg: $20

98%

#1014

Celeron T1700

MSRP: $80|Avg: $5

97%

#1015

Celeron T3500

MSRP: $80|Avg: $10

97%

#1016

A12-9720P

MSRP: $200|Avg: $25

96%

#1017

Core i5-4300M

MSRP: $227|Avg: N/A

96%

#1018

Celeron 1005M

MSRP: $86|Avg: N/A

96%

#1019

Athlon 64 X2 TK-42

MSRP: $60|Avg: $10

95%

#1020

Athlon Neo MV-40

MSRP: $100|Avg: $5

94%

#1021

Core i7-4860EQ

MSRP: $434|Avg: $80

93%

#1022

Pentium SU2700

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Use Case Distinction: This is a comparison between a Professional Workstation processor ($270) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E3-1235 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Xeon E3-1235	Core i7-3630QM
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($270)	⚠️ Higher cost ($378)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-3630QM ($378), however, is optimized for mixed workloads and gaming. For most users, it offers superior single-thread performance and responsiveness at a fraction of the cost ($108 less, 40% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Xeon E3-1235	Core i7-3630QM
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+39%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($270)	⚠️ Higher cost ($378)

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Xeon E3-1235 Benchmark Check

Core i7-3630QM Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E3-1235 and Core i7-3630QM

Xeon E3-1235

The Xeon E3-1235 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 April 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 5,112 points. Launch price was $287.

Core i7-3630QM

The Core i7-3630QM is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 5,136 points. Launch price was $284.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Xeon E3-1235 and Core i7-3630QM share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.6 GHz on the Xeon E3-1235 versus 3.4 GHz on the Core i7-3630QM — a 5.7% clock advantage for the Xeon E3-1235 (base: 3.2 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Xeon E3-1235 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Core i7-3630QM uses Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E3-1235 scores 5,112 against the Core i7-3630QM's 5,136 — a 0.5% lead for the Core i7-3630QM. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Xeon E3-1235 vs 6 MB (total) on the Core i7-3630QM.

Feature	Xeon E3-1235	Core i7-3630QM
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.6 GHz+6%	3.4 GHz
Base Clock	3.2 GHz+33%	2.4 GHz
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)+33%	6 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	32 nm	22 nm-31%
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)
PassMark	5,112	5,136
Geekbench 6 Single	—	600
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	2,000

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E3-1235 uses the LGA1155 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i7-3630QM uses PGA988 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Xeon E3-1235	Core i7-3630QM
Socket	LGA1155	PGA988
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR3-1600
Max RAM Capacity	—	32 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Xeon E3-1235) / VT-x (Core i7-3630QM). The Core i7-3630QM includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 4000), while the Xeon E3-1235 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-3630QM targets Mainstream Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i7-3630QM rivals AMD A10-5750M.